80s Run DMC Adidas Australia Tour Security t-shirt Large

Chest 21 in.

Length 28 in.

Content: Cotton Blend

Tag Brand: Adidas

This amazing vintage tee is a unique keepsake from Run DMC's 1988 Australian Tour promoting their fourth studio album Tougher Than Leather. The shirt was made for concert security and it comes from a personal collection belonging to one of the group's bodyguards from the tour. This one-of-a kind find was made by Adidas and features the Adidas trefoil logo and their iconic trio of stripes going down the sleeves.

Run DMC helped to define hip hop fashion in the 1980s with their iconic hit song "My Adidas". The group released the single off of their third studio album Raising Hell in 1986, and it eventually lead to them signing a $1,600,000 endorsement deal with the popular athletic apparel brand. This marked the first ever endorsement deal between an athletic brand and a musical act, and it was well-earned as Run DMC helped to popularize the sportswear based fashion that eventually became synonymous with 80s hip hop culture. Their influence was evident before they even signed the contract for the deal. 

Run DMC's co-manager Lyor Cohen invited an Adidas executive, Angelo Anastasio, to come see the group perform during a 1986 concert at Madison Square Garden in their hometown of New York City. During the show, the group encouraged the crowd to hold up their Adidas apparel, and when the executive saw a sea of sneakers, he knew that the decision was obvious. The deal was an immediate hit as it lead to the release of a limited edition shell toe "Superstar" sneaker that became a signature of the band. Run DMC's endorsement is credited with creating the long-running history of deals between musicians and apparel brands which became especially prevalent in hip hop culture.

The deal also came at the height of the Run DMC's popularity. Raising Hell marked history by becoming the first ever hip hop album to go Platinum and then later multi-Platinum. The group had been touring alongside another iconic hip hop act, the Beastie Boys who accompanied them on both their Raising Hell Tour and their Together Forever Tour. The My Adidas Tour promoted on this shirt was launched the same year as Run DMC's fourth studio album Tougher Than Leather. Although the release didn't quite achieve the same legendary status as Raising Hell, it is still remembered as a seminal album of the golden era of hip hop.     

Fits like a modern unisex adult large. This shirt is deadstock, unworn with tags.






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